Chugoku Marine Paints to supply solvent-free epoxy coating for water ballast tanks

Bannoh 5000, CMP’s new solvent-free epoxy coating, will be applied to the water ballast tanks of three MR tankers to be built in Hyundai Mipo Dockyard from April 2020.

This will be the first application of a solvent-free coating to a water ballast tank and follows years of extensive prototype trials in field tests, according to CMP.

Solvent-free coatings require special equipment and the paints need to be warmed due to high viscosity in cold temperatures. Their use has been limited to specific areas due to treatment difficulties.

CMP said its new epoxy coating is designed to overcome the existing limitations of using solvent-free coatings.

The company said Bannoh 5000 will conform to new Korean regulations under the Atmospheric Environment Conservation Act for managing volatile organic compounds.

CMP said Bannoh 5000 can help yards cut solvent emissions by up to 90% for ship ballast water tanks. In addition, Bannoh 5000 will be the first protective coating for ships that is applicable for all areas as a solvent-free multi-purpose primer.

CMP director of research and development Hideyuki Tanaka said “This new generation coating will catalyse a paradigm shift, changing the conventional approaches of protective coatings in the marine newbuilding market.”
Mr Tanaka added that CMP’s solvent-free epoxy will be standardised for ballast water tanks as well as for general use elsewhere on board vessels.